Why is Israel Cheering America to War?

In a 2002 article, Jason Vest of The Nation wrote about the link between the Committee of Present Danger (CPD), the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) and the Center for Security Policy (CSP). This is a dense but important article that exposes the core relationship between Zionism, neoconservatives, and the new Middle East project.

Committee on Present Danger provided a prominent group of neoconservative hawks an effective vehicle for advocating bigger military budgets, near-fanatical opposition to any form of arms control and zealous championing of a Likudnik Israel. Although a marginal group during the Carter Administration, the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 brought CPD to the center of power. [and the Iranian Hostage Crisis made Reagan a hero!]

Similarly, during Clinton Administration, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA--a 1.4 million/year operation with formidable array of Washington power players on its roll!) and the Center for Security Policy (CSP) created a "shadow defense establishment":

Industrious and persistent, they've managed to weave a number of issues--support for national missile defense, opposition to arms control treaties, championing of wasteful weapons systems, arms aid to Turkey and American unilateralism in general--into a hard line, with support for the Israeli right at its core.

At the core of JINSA/CSP agenda (as per Michael Ledeen) is total war, aimed at regime change in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and dismantling the Palestinian authority.

Anyone who dissents--be it Colin Powell's State Department, the CIA or career military officers--is committing heresy against articles of faith that effectively hold there is no difference between US and Israeli national security interests, and that the only way to assure continued safety and prosperity for both countries is through hegemony in the Middle East--a hegemony achieved with the traditional cold war recipe of feints, force, clientism and covert action.

Who helps to underwrite the JINSA and CSP?
American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Hudson Institute, defense contractors, conservative foundations and public relations entities underwritten by far-right American Zionists!

According to JINSA's website, it exists

1. To educate the American public about the importance of an effective U.S. defense capability so that our vital interests as Americans can be safeguarded; and

2. To inform the American defense and foreign affairs community about the important role Israel can and does play in bolstering democratic interests in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

In practice, this translates into its members producing a steady stream of op-eds and reports that influence and reflect the thinking of Pentagon's civilian leadership.

JINSA relishes denouncing virtually any type of contact between the US government and Syria and finding new ways to demonize the Palestinians.

[Is this all ideological and in the interest of Israel and the Jewish people?No! The underlying motives are very "financial" in fact.]

1. The United States civilian aid to Israel that will end by 2007. But the government policy is to increase military aid by half the amount of civilian aid that's cut each year. This is crucial to both the US and Israeli weapons industries but is also crucial to realizing the far right's vision for missile defense and the Middle East.

2.The bulk of JINSA's modest annual budget is spent on taking a bevy of retired US generals and admirals to Israel, who, upon their return to the States, happily write op-eds and sign letters and advertisements championing the Likudnik line. However, almost every retired officer who sits on JINSA's board of advisers or has participated in its Israel trips or signed a JINSA letter works or has worked with military contractors who do business with the Pentagon and Israel. [read page 3 of Vest's article for details of these military contracts]

[How about CSP?]

First, CSP has been pushing for a policy of withdrawal from Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, Chemical Weapons Convention and the International Criminal Court. [huh!]

Second, A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm a report prepared by the "Study Group on a New Israeli Strategy Toward 2000" became the new Israeli-US neoconservative manifesto, focused on the slogan of the "New Middle East". The prescriptions of this report were:
1. an Israeli rightward economic shift, with tax cuts and a selloff of public lands and enterprises
2. use of proxy armies for regime changes, destabilization and containment
3. advancing right-wing Zionism by melding it with missile-defense advocacy [in other words, necessitate Israel's partnership in missile-defense development]:

"Mr. Netanyahu can highlight his desire to cooperate more closely with the United States on anti-missile defense in order to remove the threat of blackmail which even a weak and distant army can pose to either state. Not only would such cooperation on missile defense counter a tangible physical threat to Israel's survival, but it would broaden Israel's base of support among many in the United States Congress who may know little about Israel, but care very much about missile defense."

[But are the defense contractors all the financial backing behind this New-Middle-East making endeavour? No! There is Zionist dollars too.] A Kosher Conspiracy?

One example is Irving Moskowitz, the California bingo magnate, a donor to both CSP and JINSA (as well as a JINSA director). He sends millions of dollars a year to far-right Israeli settler groups like Ateret Cohanim. He also funds the construction of settlements, having bought land for development in key Arab areas around Jerusalem.[ he's not always welcomed in Israel though.]

Another example: a valued and valuable patron of both the Republican National Committee and George W. Bush, is the New York investment banker Lawrence Kadish. Kadish and his financee Gaffney, serve as "senior advisors" on Americans for Victory Over Terrorism (AVOT), to identifying "external" and "internal" post-9/11 threats to America. The "internal" threats, as articulated by AVOT, include former President Jimmy Carter [did I mention that the Iranian hostage crisis made Carter unpopular?], Harper's editor Lewis Lapham and Representative Maxine Waters.

Yet another: Poju Zabludowicz, CEO and founder of Tamares, another backer of Gaffney, heir to a formidable diversified international empire that includes arms manufacturer Soltam--which once employed Perle--and benefactor of the Britain Israel Communication and Research Centre, a London-based group that equates reportage uncomplimentary to Zionism with anti-Semitism.

Conclusion: War is a profitable endeavour! One must create conditions for maximizing profitability. Whether it costs the lives of 6 million Jews, 20 million Russians, 0.5 million Iranians, 0.6 million Iraqis, uncounted Palestinians, is beyond the point! Of course, if Rwandans were as rich as Middle East states, they would have deserved a mention; but for now, we remain unaware of their natural resources!

Please Check out Right Web Program International relation center, that exposes the power structure that's changing our world!

End note: CSP denounces Rice's decision to hold direct talks with Iran. (told you, they are war mongers, right?)

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's announcement Tuesday that the United States was now prepared to begin negotiating directly with Iran and its proxy, Syria, over the future of Iraq is the latest evidence of the complete unraveling of what was once a principled, coherent American approach to foreign and defense policy. Today, the Bush team's motto seems to be: Anything goes. Among the things that are poised to go over the side is the nation's security.

Want more evidence?

AEI pushing for war with Iran!
Materialist Militarism in Israel. (Thanks Filasteen for the link.